Aluminum hull waxing?

[Greg J.]

Although my boat is still new, I know that eventually it'll dull and require some periodic maintenance. Is there a good overall product to clean the aluminum with? Is waxing of some sort required/necessary? Thanks for any info.

 

[TrepMan]

Greg - "Is waxing of some sort required/necessary?" The answer is NO! I've had my PC 175 for 5 years and only washed her twice. I don't even bother wiping her down at the end of the day and she looks GREAT!!



Now, IF you want the SHINYIEST Tracker, wait till TEE shows up with pictures of his SharkHide polished boat!!! OR look in his Member Library!!



Trep

 

[Greg J.]

Thanks, TrepMan.

 

[TrepMan]

Here's a shot of my boat at 4.5 years old.

 

[Greg J.]

Looks good! Ever have any wind problems with the canopy?



I just found Tee's gallery, and that is one shiny boat!

 

[TrepMan]

Yes TEE's rig is WAY shiny but WAY too much work for this Tracker owner.



On the Top, with the 40 Merc she'll run 30mph and i've run her all day with the top us and the family around the lake without a problem. I did purposefuly have it tilted slightly DOWN infront, so it does NOT catch wind and try to rip off. Best addition i've put on her, said my wife!!

 

[Greg J.]

I notice you have the rear side guides mounted on the trailer. Aftermarket, or did you install them? Mine just came with the single side roller on the rear sides. The way I landed the boat last time (wind and chop pushing me) I could've used some long guides, lol.

 

[TrepMan]

Mine actualy came with the side guides, maybe some one else can help on this one. I know BPS and all the marine stores carry some kind of aftermarket mounts. I had to install them on my old Jonboat trailer in Texas 10 years ago.

 

[Greg J.]

Thanks, Trep.

 

[Dan Sullivan]

I would be interested in what TEE has to say. I'm the guy in the neighborhood that everyone (including my wife) thinks is crazy about washing & waxing my truck.



When I pick up my boat I'm sure it won't be any different. I can just see it now....Me wiping her down after just towing her home after delivery. LOLOLOL.





YO TEE! WHERE YA AT????

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Go into his library and look at his pics. You can also go to the Sharkhide site, his rig is on there.



TOXIC

 

[Dan Sullivan]

Holy Jeez, that stuff is expensive. I didn't see his rig though.

 

[TrepMan]

Here's the shot from him Library.

 

[Terry Hutchison]

My boat is a '92 Pro 17. I had never touched the hull but decided to shine it up some this year. Put a bunch of hours hand rubbing with different levels of Scotchbrite pads, SOS pads,0000 steel wool, then polishing with 3M polish. It looks better but I'm not sure it was worth all the work. Hutch

 

[TOMMY RICH]

Old picture I'll take some new pic's in the next couple of days. I have the new Sharkhide decals on the trailer, blacked out the "BA" on the Bass Tracker decal thus,..SS Tracker and added TEE in reflective lettering right about where I'm standing on the rear of the trailer. Also added the chrome center covers like on the new ones Looks good

 

[Greg J.]

Looking forward to seeing the pics

 

[Andrew Zuber]

My TV-18 is decal'ed above the waterline and painted below...

I wax it a couple times each year...makes the 'scum' from the river I fish wipe off much easier...

Plus...It makes her go faster! LOL



az

 

[TOMMY RICH]

Andy...The newer spray on and wipe off waxes works great for that. Scum lines will wipe right off. My buddy uses Eagle One and it's always spiffy. He owns a Lund and coats it just about every time he goes.

 

[TrepMan]

Jim - Got a picture of the 175 with the bimini up?? I went with the 2 bow as it as barely over $120 shipped to the house, and it was an experiment to see if primarly the wife would come out on the boat more. It works great, and she doubled her time with the boys and I last summer due to the top.



On the Ladder, it is GREAT, I just wish it would have been mounted farther to the outside, but that would have required serious work to get to the inside corner of the transom to through bolt it right. In hind sight, I might have considered the one with the flat step that some of the guys have on their DeepV boats, so it would be easier comming out of the water. One thing I am going to do this spring is mount a handle on the top outside of the transom so there is a place to GRAB comming back in.

 

[Richard Whittemore]

Mine is a 98 and I have had mine for 2years and never washed mine... does look like it though...

 

[Greg J.]

TEE, Richard,

What is the item on your stbd bow, an anchor windlass?

 

[Greg J.]

Jim C.,

Yep, the day I was fighting the wind & chop pushing me from the stbd side, with rocks on the left side of ramp, it took me 3 times to land the dang boat. The rollers didn't seem to assist in getting me straight onto the trailer that day. I do believe the side boards would have been a great assist (at least for me, lol).

 

[TrepMan]

I've got the Anchor too, you can't see mine as it's behind the trolling motor in the picture, been a HUGE help when anchoring in the coves swimming with the kids, or anchoring in the River for Trout, or Anchoring anytime!!!

 

[TOMMY RICH]

Lectric Anchor dude...I'm a lazy SOB

 

[Greg J.]

A friend of mine has an electric one on his 15' jon boat, and it does come in handy.

 

[TrepMan]

Gotta love TEE - HAND/Machine POLISHes and sharkhides' his boat but he's LAZY and needs an electric anchor!!! LOL

 

[Jim in VA]

Hey Trep:



Here's a picture of the set up. I know the bimini looks high, but its set up so you can actually stand up in the recessed area and not bend over. The next step is to add the mounting ladder in back.

 

[Rich D]

I wanna post my top too!!

 

[TrepMan]

Jim - Looks great, yes mine is a little lower so my wife (5' 3") can stand up but i have to bend a bit.



Jim and Rich - did you guys use the plastic hook thingies (where the strap attaches to the boat) or go SS? I went with the standard plastic and so far 2 seasons its fine, but may be SS if one breaks.

 

[Terry Hutchison]

My bimini top has been used twice in 13 years. During the recent hull cleanup I noticed that two of the plastic "hook thingies" were broken so when I went back to BPS Monday I thought I'd get four of the stainless ones. $19.99 for a pack of four ss ones versus .99 each for plastic. I got plastic. Hutch

 

[Rich D]

I used the plastic ones. So far, no problem. The only thing I may change is adding a quick disconnect mount. I don't use it unless my wife is along, and if I am on a hp restricted lake, the top sometimes interferes with steering my kicker.



Rich D

 

[Jim in VA]

Trepman: Actually, I cheated. When I mounted my bimini, I noticed that the straps for the front would clip perfectly on the front part of the forward cleats. So I never ended up installing the plastic clip parts. For the rear, I started using the rear cleats, but after noticing the height of the top caused rubbing of the fabric against he steeering arms on the motor, I got the two aluminum poles so the folded top sits propped up at an angle. It doesn't affect speed or handling at all. Although the stowed top will sway a bit when underway, its held on pretty well. Its also handled 75mph on the thruway (trailering on I-95 to Lake Anna) just fine!

 

[TrepMan]

Rich - You mean quick disconnect on the strap clips or the pole bolts? What I did was instead of the pole bolts to the deck hardware, I used what I think is called a Hitch Pin, its a non-threaded bolttypethingy with holes through it, and I put a cottertypeclippinthingy on the end after it goes through the deck hardware.



Ok so this is NOT a good description!! If I get a chance i'll take a picture of it and post it. What it allows me to do is very quickly remove the top and store it when the wife/kids are not out with me in the summer.

 

[Rich D]

Trep,



I know what you mean. I never thought of that. I will have to stop at the hardware store!



Rich D

 

[Richard Whittemore]

Day late and dollar short...



Waterwings, that is the roller for the anchor line and it secures the 15 lb. mushroom anchor with a pin lock so it won't come loose on the road.

I'm not as lazy (or rich as TEE) Mine are manual crank'em ups. I have another anchor mate on the port aft.

Hmmm, sailor talk...

 

[TrepMan]

Rich - It cost me like $1.25 for both sets, all I had to do was hacksaw off the ends as they were a little long.

 

[Shannon Daves]

TEE...where's those new pics?

 

[Greg J.]

"I have another anchor mate on the port aft.

Hmmm, sailor talk..."



I understand every word, lol. After 21 yrs in the Big Water Canoe Club, it's a hard habit for me to break.